So, there he was in a stranger’s living room with grape jelly smeared across his left hand, a fistful of goose feathers in his right, and a dead body sprawled across the floor.

It had started off as a joke. An offhanded comment that had snowballed.

He needed the money! He was a broke art school student in NYC. Turns out true crime fans were willing to leave a lot of money to a stranger, provided they knew how to turn “died of natural causes” into an intriguing unsolved case.

So, another body was found. Posed like a falling angel.

She was always a go go go kind of girl

A minute stood still was a minute wasted

There was just so much to see,

so much to do

so much to be!

That’s when she met him

He was lazy

Did things his own way

But still seemed happy

She looked at him and understood nothing.

Funny how two very different people’s lives can keep crossing

While she was working at the local diner he was ordering lunch.

While she was getting A’s in Ms. Polly’s biology class he was a row behind getting solid C’s.

While she was mowing her front lawn he was across the street drinking lemonade on his.

While she was on the field playing sports he was in the bleacher with a couple of friends.

And one summer’s day, while she was hiking he was napping under a shady tree

She finally asked

“How can you do it?”

He peeked out from under his cap, looking only mildly surprised to see another person in the middle of the woods.

“Do what?”

“How can you sit there and do nothing? Sit there and accomplish nothing? Sit there and be nothing?!”

“Hmmmm”

He paused for a moment

“Have you ever tried it?”

Ok, that was not the answer she was expecting

“Well… no…”

He didn’t say another word, just shifted a little to the left

But it was a clear invitation to stay a while

Never one to ignore a challenge, she plopped herself down against the hard, uncomfortable trunk

She leaned against that tree

And she sat

And she sat

And she sat

Until she was bored

And then she sat some more.

She began to hear the birds chirping, and the stream running

She began to smell the pine and the wildflowers all around them

She began to see all the leaves in the trees and the little critters scampering by

She began to breathe in the fresh air

Until she wasn’t bored anymore,

Until she felt at peace.

And then,

she looked at him and understood nothing,

Wonderful, beautiful nothing

Let me tell you a story about a girl who was born in the sunflowers

It was a series of bad luck really

Her water broke early and one flat tire later they’re in the middle of a field

But sometimes those worst moments turn into the best days of our lives

A baby’s cry rings out amongst the endless flowers

Let me tell you a story about a girl who grew up in the sunflowers

Her papa loves her so much he plants her a garden of sunflowers

She spends her childhood hiding, and reading.

and playing, and sleeping.

and breathing in the flowers

Let me tell you a story about a girl who fell in love in the sunflowers

This little girl grows up and moves away

She becomes a gardener

And that’s when a young man starts coming by

He asks about a different type of flower everyday

Until he comes in and says he’s looking for the perfect flower to ask out a girl

She suggests sunflowers

Half an hour later he suggests they have lunch together with a bouquet in hand

They were married surrounded by the yellow flowers

Let me tell you a story about a girl who lived her life in the sunflowers

Over time her back starts to ache

So when she’s saved up enough, she opens a floral shop

She spends the rest of her days selling sunflowers

And going home to a husband who always makes sure there’s a vase of them by the window

And to two sunshiny little girls who love the colour yellow

Let me tell you a story about a girl who died in the sunflowers

She lived a good life, a happy life

Eventually her skin started to wrinkle and her hair turned white

but as she lay there in that hospital bed, she knew she was loved

So many bouquets, all of them sunflowers

Until her whole room was garden

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-

And yet...

Let me tell you a story about a girl who was reborn as a sunflower

for a while it’s cold and dark

wet and damp and cramped

so cramped she decides to stretch

she stretches until her fingers break through the earth

and she pulls herself up towards the sky

And when she feels brave enough, she uncovers her face to feel the sun

The warm glow kisses her cheeks as she smiles

her yellow petals caressed gently by the breeze

I have this cup.

It is my favourite cup.

It is shaped like a pineapple

And I think this is very fun

A tropical cup to get me through the winter months

Today I dropped it, as i often do (not on purpose) and the plastic green leaves popped right off.

Leaving me without a drink,

A bald pineapple,

And still three more months of winter

Time stole the memories from his head

Like ripe plums, one by one they were plucked away

Until he was a no longer complete

A nameless man with two options

Surrender or fight

And so he fought.

He rebelled against the absolute

It’s funny how power can be found in the places you least expect it

A frail old man waging a war

Everyday into the unknown

He didn’t believe in god anymore

Because what kind of god would allow this suffering

What kind of god would allow a monster into his skull

To gnaw at his cerebral

What god?!

And yet he prayed every night

He was angry

No

Frustrated

More then that sad

Confused?

Was there a difference between being determined or just desperate?

He struggled, scuffled, and fought

He fought because he was alive

But all battles end

And not everyone wins

He finally pegged down the emotion he hadn't been able to quite figure out

Loneliness

He was lonely

In his life (not that he remembered but) he had been an artist, a writer

And so when the end of the world came

He tore it down and wrote his own ending

He gave one last battle cry

but there was no one there to hear

At home alone sat an estranged son

He hadn’t heard from his father in years

Hadn’t thought of him in a long time

So to hear about his father’s passing basically in the form of a funeral invite…

Well he felt so much and nothing all at once

Anger

No

Frustration

More than that sadness

Confusion?

Was there a difference between determination or just desperation.

Along with the invitation came a letter

This bastard waited until he was dead to…

To what?

Apologize?

Make sure he got the final word?

He didn’t know

And he didn’t want to know

So the letter sat for years

Collecting dust

Unopened

But he could never quite throw it away

It was only when the son had grey hair

In a hospital bed that he finally found he was ready to see what his father had to say

He’d lost his wife a few years ago and the kids only really visited at Christmas time

His father had been about this age when he passed.

He finally pegged down the emotion he couldn’t quite figure out all those years ago

Loneliness

He was lonely

Opening the envelope the now elderly man read the messy writing

It was short but it was enough

The son read it again and again

Until he couldn’t see through the blur or tears

“Jason, I don’t know much of anything now a days.

In fact I remember only one thing.

Your name

I don’t know who you are

But I know I love you”

And so he did the only thing he could

He cried out

But there was no one there to hear

It started with a bit of money

What we had in our pockets really

All fun and games

But the thrill of winning a hand

The thrill of being on top

It hooks you

You crave it

Need to feel it again

So you make another bet

A little bit more this time

The money that was supposed to go towards food

It's harmless really

So what if you have to skip a meal or two

but here's the thing

You don't lose

You keep on winning

And winning

And winning

Beginners luck or maybe you're just a natural

Either way the cards love you

You just can't lose

And then you do

You laugh it off

Don't panic

Not yet

You can still win it back

You've done it once, you can do it again

So you raise the stakes

It's not just cash anymore.

You bet anything you can get your hands on

Property, information, everything you have

Because you have to turn it around

But lady luck just isn't with you

The cards just won't cooperate

And then...

Then the bell rings

And it's all over

Go-fish is an unforgiving game

And the first grade classroom is an unsympathetic casino

You played until you had nothing left

No

I played

I played until until I had nothing left

Oh well...

Guess I'll have to borrow a pencil from Jimmy for afternoon classes

The little boy once known as the prodigy took his spotlight.

Violin at the ready,

Bow held high,

He began.

He played the most complex and beautiful melodies.

Songs that took you soaring through the heavens,

Suspended you in time.

Lost in the one man symphony.

Emotion and precision in perfect harmony.

And in the end,

Thunderous applause...

...From his audience of two.

The streets can be an uncaring stage.

He made three dollars that day.

Maybe next time he'd have enough for a hot meal.

One Two

My heart was pounding in my ears.

Breaths so shallow it left the world spinning.

I walked forward on numb legs one step at a time.

Wide eyed, sweating.

Fear, this was fear.

Three Four

The happiest day of my life.

I loved her since the day she was born.

She was my world.

My life.

My baby.

Five Six

Behind the curtains was a lump.

A little breathing lump.

Two little shoes peeking out the bottom.

A giggle rung through the air.

or maybe it was a memory.

Seven Eight

She was only seven.

Too young.

She wasn’t ready to go.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

And then she was gone.

Nine Ten

Forward step by step.

Until I’m close enough to reach out and touch the all too familiar shape.

I’m light headed now holding my breath.

I’m scared.

but I need to know.

Ready or not here I come.

In one motion I threw open the curtains.

But there was no one there.

Nothing but an open window.